Kate Moss on Her Personal Style and Superstar Status

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"I'll always be a bit rough," Kate Moss explains
of her South London background. "I can be
glamorous, but there will always be a little
street in there."

Just a few days after hanging in the supermodel's
hometown and passing souvenir booths with her mug
plastered on everything from, well, mugs to T-shirts, as
fashion fate would have it, I received an impromptu
invitation to sit face-to-face with her in Barcelona at the
fourth annual Mango Fashion Awards, where fresh
design talent compete for a €300,000 award. "I'm glad
to be a part of this—it's important to support young
designers who are starting off," says Kate, who was on
the voting jury and has been the face of the Spanish
brand since spring 2012. "There will always be a few
lucky ones who make it to the top, but there's a lot of
talent that doesn't get seen, unfortunately."

Wisharawish Akarasantisook, a budding designer
whose work will surely be seen, took the prize for his
collection inspired by both his Thai heritage and his
father's passing. The 30-year-old's intricate pieces
impressed the judges, even Kate—famous for her
effortless uniform of jeans, tees, blazers, and heels.

And Kate's countless costume changes over the
years will come in handy, as she's had the foresight to
keep many of her ultracool duds. "I store
everything for my daughter for when it
comes back in style," she states. What a
sartorial trust fund to inherit!

Later, after catching up with
burgeoning models and Teen Vogue faves Margaret Qualley and
Amber Le Bon, who
attended the awards, I
wonder when Kate first
became aware of her own
meteoric rise. "I was only
seventeen when my
Calvin Klein ad came out,
and that's when I
realized, Oh my god, I'm
on a bus," she says,
laughing. "It wasn't scary. It
was exciting." Now, two
decades later, even as Great
Britain has a new Kate on its
hands—their beloved
Duchess of Cambridge—Miss
Moss is still reigning supreme.

Is there something about you that will always be innately South London?
I can be glamorous, but I think that there will always be a bit of street in me.
What is your go-to outfit in the morning?
Jeans, and a t-shit, and blazers, and a heel.

Do you wear heels every day?
No. I have a dog I have to walk.

How do you mix things up to make an outfit interesting? What is a good way to spice things up?
Accessorize with a belt, a scarf, and earrings. It doesn't have to be too crazy. It is strange to answer fashion questions because it's not really a formula. I think it comes down to rock and roll and glamour: a heel with a bit of leg showing.

If you could only keep one item in your closet, what would it be?
A YSL little black blazer. If there was a fire, that's what I would take.

What trends are you into right now?
I like long skirts and corals.

What do you do with clothes that are out of fashion?
I keep them and store them for my daughter. Everything comes back around.

Your style is famous and emulated by many young girls. How do you feel about this?
I think it is really flattering!

Do you ever see yourself as a role model?
No. I honestly don't even think about it. I just wear what I wear, and it somehow becomes a fashion thing.

What is the boldest outfit you've ever worn?
Probably that Margiela Couture plastic dress; I wore it to a party.

Was it a good thing or a bad thing?
A good thing.

There are Kate Moss tees shirts, coffee mugs etc...What is the oddest thing you've ever come across with your face on?
Somebody's arm! There was a girl outside of the Mercer Hotel who had a tattoo of me. I was really young in the image; I was holding a teddy bear and wearing a pair of stockings.

Can you recall the moment when, in your career, you became a global icon?
Probably after the Calvin ads on buses. I was seventeen, and I was thinking, Oh my God, I'm on a bus!

You're known for working for very famous brands such as Calvin Kline, Chanel, and Versace. How did your Mango collaboration start?
They came to me with an idea for a film with Terry Richardson and I loved the idea. We had a great time shooting it, and it went on from there.

You've seen the fall/winter collection of Mango? Is there one piece you would rush to buy?
The jackets and the jeans are really amazing! The tuxedos are really good too.
How would you make these pieces your own?
I'd like to make it Patti Smith-like; make it a bit more boyish – not so ladylike.

What is it like being part of the jury for the Mango Fashion Awards with Caroline Herrera?
I'm really glad to be a part of what they are doing. I like supporting young designers because I think it's really difficult to start out in this business without backing and support.

Do you feel that young design talent is supported enough in this industry?
There are so many young designers; a few lucky ones are chosen and pulled out – just like in any industry. Still, there is a lot of talent out there that doesn't get seen. That's why these things are really good: it gives people an opportunity to see all the talent that's out there – to show what they can do. There are so many in London – on Brick Lane.

You've been in the fashion business for years and years; how has the business changed?
It's funny because I still work with the same people that I worked with twenty years ago, the same makeup artists, photographers etc. Everything is quicker now; shoots are taken care of in a day or two instead of a week. Now you don't have the luxury of looking at the film, and saying, "Let's reshoot that one."

Does handling the paparazzi ever get easier?
Sometimes, I'm like, I'm not working, leave me alone. It's different when I'm going out for a gig, but when I'm walking down the street, it can be a bit annoying.

What was the experience was like to be painted by Lucian Freud?
It was amazing to be painted by him. It took nine months. It taught me a lot of discipline. I respected him a lot. It was amazing.

Is that one of the most important pieces you've worked on?
Yes; it was the longest time I've committed to doing that sort of thing. And by watching him paint, I learned so much.

What is the coolest part about being Kate Moss?
I don't know! Sometimes people give me nice dresses; that is really handy. That is a definite perk of the job.

What albums are you obsessed with right now?
Astral Weeks by Van Morrison.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Dancing anywhere outside--In a field, dancing!

Andrew Bevan meets up with the iconic model in Barcelona to celebrate the Mango Fashion Awards.

"I'll always be a bit rough," Kate Moss explains
of her South London background. "I can be
glamorous, but there will always be a little
street in there."

Just a few days after hanging in the supermodel's
hometown and passing souvenir booths with her mug
plastered on everything from, well, mugs to T-shirts, as
fashion fate would have it, I received an impromptu
invitation to sit face-to-face with her in Barcelona at the
fourth annual Mango Fashion Awards, where fresh
design talent compete for a €300,000 award. "I'm glad
to be a part of this—it's important to support young
designers who are starting off," says Kate, who was on
the voting jury and has been the face of the Spanish
brand since spring 2012. "There will always be a few
lucky ones who make it to the top, but there's a lot of
talent that doesn't get seen, unfortunately."

Wisharawish Akarasantisook, a budding designer
whose work will surely be seen, took the prize for his
collection inspired by both his Thai heritage and his
father's passing. The 30-year-old's intricate pieces
impressed the judges, even Kate—famous for her
effortless uniform of jeans, tees, blazers, and heels.

And Kate's countless costume changes over the
years will come in handy, as she's had the foresight to
keep many of her ultracool duds. "I store
everything for my daughter for when it
comes back in style," she states. What a
sartorial trust fund to inherit!

Later, after catching up with
burgeoning models and Teen Vogue faves Margaret Qualley and
Amber Le Bon, who
attended the awards, I
wonder when Kate first
became aware of her own
meteoric rise. "I was only
seventeen when my
Calvin Klein ad came out,
and that's when I
realized, Oh my god, I'm
on a bus," she says,
laughing. "It wasn't scary. It
was exciting." Now, two
decades later, even as Great
Britain has a new Kate on its
hands—their beloved
Duchess of Cambridge—Miss
Moss is still reigning supreme.

Is there something about you that will always be innately South London?
I can be glamorous, but I think that there will always be a bit of street in me.
What is your go-to outfit in the morning?
Jeans, and a t-shit, and blazers, and a heel.

Do you wear heels every day?
No. I have a dog I have to walk.

How do you mix things up to make an outfit interesting? What is a good way to spice things up?
Accessorize with a belt, a scarf, and earrings. It doesn't have to be too crazy. It is strange to answer fashion questions because it's not really a formula. I think it comes down to rock and roll and glamour: a heel with a bit of leg showing.

If you could only keep one item in your closet, what would it be?
A YSL little black blazer. If there was a fire, that's what I would take.

What trends are you into right now?
I like long skirts and corals.

What do you do with clothes that are out of fashion?
I keep them and store them for my daughter. Everything comes back around.

Your style is famous and emulated by many young girls. How do you feel about this?
I think it is really flattering!

Do you ever see yourself as a role model?
No. I honestly don't even think about it. I just wear what I wear, and it somehow becomes a fashion thing.

What is the boldest outfit you've ever worn?
Probably that Margiela Couture plastic dress; I wore it to a party.

Was it a good thing or a bad thing?
A good thing.

There are Kate Moss tees shirts, coffee mugs etc...What is the oddest thing you've ever come across with your face on?
Somebody's arm! There was a girl outside of the Mercer Hotel who had a tattoo of me. I was really young in the image; I was holding a teddy bear and wearing a pair of stockings.

Can you recall the moment when, in your career, you became a global icon?
Probably after the Calvin ads on buses. I was seventeen, and I was thinking, Oh my God, I'm on a bus!

You're known for working for very famous brands such as Calvin Kline, Chanel, and Versace. How did your Mango collaboration start?
They came to me with an idea for a film with Terry Richardson and I loved the idea. We had a great time shooting it, and it went on from there.

You've seen the fall/winter collection of Mango? Is there one piece you would rush to buy?
The jackets and the jeans are really amazing! The tuxedos are really good too.
How would you make these pieces your own?
I'd like to make it Patti Smith-like; make it a bit more boyish – not so ladylike.

What is it like being part of the jury for the Mango Fashion Awards with Caroline Herrera?
I'm really glad to be a part of what they are doing. I like supporting young designers because I think it's really difficult to start out in this business without backing and support.

Do you feel that young design talent is supported enough in this industry?
There are so many young designers; a few lucky ones are chosen and pulled out – just like in any industry. Still, there is a lot of talent out there that doesn't get seen. That's why these things are really good: it gives people an opportunity to see all the talent that's out there – to show what they can do. There are so many in London – on Brick Lane.

You've been in the fashion business for years and years; how has the business changed?
It's funny because I still work with the same people that I worked with twenty years ago, the same makeup artists, photographers etc. Everything is quicker now; shoots are taken care of in a day or two instead of a week. Now you don't have the luxury of looking at the film, and saying, "Let's reshoot that one."

Does handling the paparazzi ever get easier?
Sometimes, I'm like, I'm not working, leave me alone. It's different when I'm going out for a gig, but when I'm walking down the street, it can be a bit annoying.

What was the experience was like to be painted by Lucian Freud?
It was amazing to be painted by him. It took nine months. It taught me a lot of discipline. I respected him a lot. It was amazing.

Is that one of the most important pieces you've worked on?
Yes; it was the longest time I've committed to doing that sort of thing. And by watching him paint, I learned so much.

What is the coolest part about being Kate Moss?
I don't know! Sometimes people give me nice dresses; that is really handy. That is a definite perk of the job.

What albums are you obsessed with right now?
Astral Weeks by Van Morrison.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Dancing anywhere outside--In a field, dancing!

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Andrew Bevan meets up with the iconic model in Barcelona to celebrate the Mango Fashion Awards.